Okeechobee County resident Marlon Scott tells us he was driving home Monday night - only to see flashing lights in his rear view mirror.
Turns out that was only the beginning of his ordeal. He was driving through the Basswood neighborhood in Okeechobee.
Suddenly, a man with a black mustache in a white SUV pulls up behind him.
“Actually had a flashing blue light in his dashboard. I thought it was a cop for real at first. I had to lean out the window and look,” he says.
“I got to a lighted area and I stopped. He pulled up beside me and says ‘Pull over right here, I got a deputy on the way’.”
Scott says the man didn't identify himself, and he didn't show a badge.
“You're not a deputy? I can't pull over,” Scott recalls thinking to himself.
He says he took quick action.
“I just bolted out.”
Scott said It lead to a high speed, 6 mile chase through the streets of Okeechobee.
“He come behind me all on my bumper, chased me all down this street here, all around the little main streets.”
Scott says he was able to shake the vehicle and make it home to call 9-1-1.
Michelle Bell with the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office says Marlon had a right to be suspicious.
“You just can't be too sure,” she says.
She says law enforcement shouldn't approach without identifying themselves or showing a badge.
If they can't provide credentials, 9-1-1 is your best lifeline.
“Advise them of what's going on, where your location is, the description of the vehicle, and what they're doing,” Bell says.
She says stay with 9-1-1 and drive to a well lit place like a shopping center or even the sheriff's department until you feel safe.
Marlon hopes his story serves as a cautionary tale - as he tries to figure out why anyone would do this.
“Why would you chase me like that? That's dangerous. You could’ve made me crash, you could made anything happen.”
One more word of caution from the sheriff's office - make sure you pay close attention to the make and model of the car and the license plate.
That way, you can report that information to law enforcement later.
